A business development center whose opening was delayed when Hurricane Helene smashed Metro Augusta, recently opened its doors and is part of a rebirth in one section of downtown Augusta.
Accelerate Augusta is up and running in the former Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce building. The I.M. Pei-designed building is located at 600 Broad Street.
The microenterprise center was created to support entrepreneurs, start-ups, and help local small businesses develop and grow. However, it is also a welcome neighbor on that section of Broad Street.
“Got a new hotel coming right over there, a Marriott Hotel (in the former Ramada Inn), and there are 60 market-rate apartments under construction on this side of the street,” Margaret Woodard, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), pointed out for ABD.
The center is the outgrowth of a meeting between Woodard and then-Augusta Technical College President Dr. Jermaine Whirl. It was in late 2021, and the world was gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Woodard explained that the area saw a cottage industry develop, with people creating small businesses or turning hobbies into a business from their homes during the lockdown.
She said the center can be a hub for a broad cross-section of budding entrepreneurs.
“We will attract soldiers that are coming out of Fort Gordon that have finished their service, students from Augusta University, Paine College, Augusta Tech, and anyone who aspires to go into business for themselves,” she said.
Accelerate Augusta has been holding classes and workshops for about a month as a soft opening, preparing for the grand opening. Shawn Andrews, Executive Director, said they have been working with entrepreneurs during the soft opening and have already had success.
“From the first event, we had a young man who had just started his business. He’s already had his first two customers,” he said. “We’ve been working with a business that’s been medium-sized. We’re helping them as well. And so that really was a catalyst for what we’re about to do for the community.”
Andrews said the microenterprise center wants to reach beyond the City of Augusta. It is available to any entrepreneur or small business across metro counties in Georgia and South Carolina. Its goal is to promote building a community throughout the area.
“What we want to do is build not only mentorship but also offer a place for resources, so this is truly a home for entrepreneurship,” he said. “Whenever you start businesses, we see oftentimes, we may be in the silo, and there may be things that are going on that we may not be able to see around corners. So, we’re providing a place where not only can we provide the resources, but also folks that can help us get to that next step.”
Upcoming classes and workshops include Accelerate Lab: Startup Bootcamp, SmallBiz U, Biz Growth, and Code to Reality. The center will also host a series of Meetups for people to give aspiring and existing entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet in an informal gathering to network and share ideas.
Learn more at: www.accelerateaugusta.org/ The center is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/accelerateaugusta
